Funeral services for Rollin Eulberg, age 88, of Dupree will be at 10 AM, MT Monday, July 11, 2011 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Dupree. Burial will be in the Dupree Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will start at 6:30 PM with a Rosary service at 7:30 PM Sunday at the church. Rollin passed away Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at his home in Dupree.

Rollin Eulberg was born on December 7, 1922, the third of five children of Herman and Victoria (Heying) Eulberg. Upon reaching school age in 1928, Rollin attended the Cloverleaf School in rural Ziebach County for eight years, before starting high school in Dupree. During the Great Depression, Rollin left school in November, 1936, seeking employment to help support his family. Traveling south, he worked in Oklahoma for three years.

Rollin returned to South Dakota in 1940, working in Rapid City before he came back home. After the Second World War broke out, he enlisted in the Army. During the war Rollin was assigned to the 13th Airborne Division, serving as a paratrooper in the European Theater. His Army service ended in 1946 and he once again returned to his home in South Dakota and took up farming.

Making use of his G.I. Bill education funding, he became a licensed commercial pilot. In addition to farming, Rollin made brisk business in flying. He flew for Western Farm Management in 1949, delivering supplies to cattle camps that often could only be reached by air. Rollin soon began a two year partnership with Al McDonald, operating a flying service out of Newell and Dupree airports. For the next two decades, Rollin flew nearly 10,000 hours in twenty-six different types of aircrafts. Though much of the flights were aerial spraying for local farmers, Rollin often flew supplies to farms that were snow bound, carrying food, mail, kerosene and even cattle feed. He also flew doctors to deliver babies, people to hospitals for treatment and Santa Claus to the children of Dupree.

In 1955, Rollin bought his own farm and ranch northeast of Dupree. On April 29, 1961 Rollin Eulberg married Frances Marple. Together, they raised eight children in their small farm house in rural Dewey County, before moving into Dupree. In between flying, farming, ranching, and raising a family, Rollin was also active in the communities of Lantry and Dupree. He served on the school boards in both towns, as well as the city council of Dupree.

Rollin retired from flying in the 1980's and from farming and ranching a decade later, to work in his wood shop, spend time with his wife and play with his grandchildren. He was a member of the Dupree American Legion and the VFW in Faith.

He is survived by his wife, Frances, daughter, Mary (Jim) Verry, son, Dean, son, Robert (Kristy), son, John (Trudy), daughter, Jean (David) Neigel, son, Jeff, daughter, Susan (Mike) Dykes, daughter, Diane (Dan) Bishop, sixteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Rollin is preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Victoria Eulberg, brothers, Virgil, Albion, and Jim, and his sister, Cora (Albinus) Dosch.

Pallbearers are Jamie Eulberg, Jeff Neigel, James Dykes, Kade Eulberg, Alan Bakeberg, and Carmen Dosch.

Honorary bearers are Dr. Darrell Plumage, Carol Sternaud, Verna Schad, Eleanor Cook, Tony Knife, Albinus Dosch, the staffs of St. Mary's Hospital and Faith Clinic and all of Rollin's family, friends and neighbors.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Dupree Volunteer Fire Department.